I grabbed this sleek badass Boba Fett dress with a classic image from Return of the Jedi– and I’ll leave it up to you to make the Sarlacc pit jokes.

Reluctantly, I’ll also note there is an adorable option that features our furry friends from Endor. 

KILL IT!!!!

Check them all out at your intergalactic shop, blackmilkclothing.com

This is the first item on my wish list!  What’s yours?

Drivers on Pacific Coast Highway (known to L.A. natives as “PCH”) on Saturday afternoon were met with quite the traffic jam. The Star Wars event, “Course of the Force,” the first charity lightsaber relay, was making its debut. The well-paced parade (not quite as fast as 12 parsecs) began its journey from Santa Monica Pier to Redondo Beach in quarter-mile increments.  The procession included two giant tour buses, Jabba’s sail barge, two escort-cyclists, and a couple of shuttles! Oh– and a good amount of motorcops to help clear the path!

That’s me, trying my best to keep up with the Sail Barge! Runners ranged from athletes to hardcore Star Wars fans to celebs, cosplayers, and 501st members. In front of the Barge is a participant shuttle bus, which transported the runners to each of our respective running points. While preparing for my leg, I watched motorists and spectators’ baffled expressions as the procession passed them. Although there was a brief traffic delay, I don’t believe folks stuck in traffic were too bothered by the sight of a Stormtrooper or Jedi running with a lightsaber! Hell, the ice cream in the trunk can melt, this is way cool!

Participants were asked to show off their best Star Wars costumes, and were given the choice to walk, jog, or run! I intended to run my entire quarter mile (before I knew it was uphill!).

My best friend and her husband created this custom-made athletic outfit for me which included the Imperial Logo on the front and the intimidating phrase “The Chosen One” on the back. I also wore my Darth Vader belt since I knew I’d be able to run in it.

Photo above was taken by a photographer on the Sail Barge and is part of the official Star Wars Flickr photostream.

And here’s my view of the CoTF Crew!

Meanwhile, in the participant shuttle bus, the CoTF organizers and group leaders were helping us every step of the way! They led the entire procession and dropped off runners at their respective stops! My shuttle comprised the participants in the first running group for the event– a couple of father-son duos, Clone Trooper Captain Rex, Luke Skywalker, the Emperor, Jedis, and non-costumed fans. We had a great team!

Photo of Lawrence Green costumed as Luke Skywalker was taken by Matt Martin.  Lawrence’s costume was spot-on!

A Jedi and his Padawan getting ready to board the shuttle!  Younglings were allowed in the event as long as they ran with an adult. So adorable!

I have to give a lot of credit and thanks to the CoTF organizers, drivers, and local police staff. I think the hardest-working folks were the cyclists who escorted each runner and “protected” the lightsaber so that it can get to Comic-Con safely! And of course, proceeds went to Make-a-Wish Foundation!

Course of the Force continues Tuesday, July 10th and ends on Wednesday, July 11th. 

Read more about what was in the swag bag and how to win your very own!

     OK, so they even look adorable in their little collectible box. And these intergalactic ships are TINY!

Here they are propped against a spool of thread. Adorable!

With the help of my sister’s craftmanship and tools, we fashioned these Star Wars earrings in only minutes!  (I think it took longer for me to explain to her why the Advanced x1 isn’t your typical TIE Fighter!).

We used wire cutters to fasten the ornaments to a couple of lightweight earwire hooks.

The earrings are a subtle and unique way of showing off your geeky style! They’re also verrrry lightweight so I barely feel like I’m wearing TREE ORNAMENTS!

As a creative bonus, my sister offered to add decorative colored beads to the TIE Fighter earring.*

Of course, I always pair these with my favorite handmade Star Wars heels!

*Vader is always MY co-pilot.

And to celebrate May the 4th (STAR WARS DAY), all the Star Wars products are 20% off!

These Star Wars heels were actually quite easy to craft! I've seen a few geeky high heels online, but never thought I could make some myself. Thanks to @amy_geek and about a dozen pals who gathered for a Geeky Craft Day, I finally have a pair of my own.

What you'll need: About 3-4 Star Wars comic books. Yes, they will be destroyed! The good news is that original SW comics from the early eighties are abundant and should be easy to come by.  These cost a dollar a piece at my local shop.

I chose an affordable but posh pump with a vibrant blue trim (Bloomingdales).  With a 4-inch heel and stacked platform, the shoe had a beige cork-like color and texture, which was a perfect canvas. The patent leather trim gave it a fun, stylish accent that I knew would pop against comic images.

I used Mod Podge as a glue as well as a sealant.

The overall process is easy: with scissors, I cut up pages of the comic books and glued them directly to the shoe. Each piece was about an inch wide or smaller. Larger pieces ("STAR WARS") were cut up into smaller sections and glued separately, so they would not tear or crinkle during the process.

Image courtesy of @SarahKuhn

Cover art is more vibrant than images from pages inside the comics--I used both to create a style that was collage-like and colorful.

I used some of my favorite images-- Vader, R2-D2, Leia and Stormtroopers-- But I also used images to tell a story.  The back of the shoes depict Han and Fett squaring off. Like they do. In my mind.

I found that it was best to take a couple of breaks and let the shoes dry between sessions.  When finished, I let it dry overnight, and I used Mod Podge for a final layer of sealant to create a glossy finish. Overall, it took about 5 wine-sipping hours to complete.

This decoupage method can be used with any style of shoe--flats, wedges, even boots. I'm told that a final polyurethane finish will protect it from wet weather.

The last step, of course, is to geek out in style by pairing the heels with a fitted skirt or favorite pair of jeans.  The best part: While I'm waiting for someone to bring my latte, pull my car around, or submit their report, I can gaze down lovingly at my shoes and read some comics.